


Desperate Moments

by theprydonian_archivist



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Episode: s04e18 The End of Time (2), Introspection, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-05-16
Updated: 2010-05-16
Packaged: 2018-07-15 01:00:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7199012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theprydonian_archivist/pseuds/theprydonian_archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which we discover what was going on in the Doctor and the Master's head in that scene in End of Time part 2 with the bondage chair!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Desperate Moments

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Versaphile, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Prydonian](http://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Prydonian). Deciding that it needed to have a more long-term home, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in June 2016. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact the e-mail address on [The Prydonian collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/theprydonian/profile).

The Doctor was strapped to a large trolley-chair, designed for just that purpose. One that the Master had previously been strapped to. Oh, the irony of that. But it suited the Doctor SO much better. Oh the things he could do to the Doctor in that chair. He stopped himself from those thoughts as he leaned in close to the Doctor, so close and intimate, and had the situation been different...

"Now then," he said, reminding himself, as well as the Doctor, who was watching him out of the corner of his eye, unsurprisingly mistrustful of the Master, and undoubtedly aware of what a vulnerable situation he was in. Just how the Master liked it. "I've got a planet to run!" he continued, snapping himself out of it and moving away from the Doctor, watched by Wilf who was seated and bound with ropes to a chair. The Master walked to a screen where various versions of himself around the world were awaiting his instruction.

"Is everybody ready?" he asked, before receiving responses from the versions of himself who had once been Joshua Naismith, the American President, a military leader from UNIT HQ in Geneva and from the central military commission in Beijing. As they reported he looked to the Doctor giving all the smug responses he knew would annoy him. Then he turned to Wilf and winked at him, mainly to confuse the old man of course. Which did appear to work, as the old man started at the wink.

"Enough soldiers and weapons to turn this planet into a warship," he said, turning back to the Doctor who simply watched from the chair. Then again, what else could he do, being strapped down with a strip across his mouth? He quite liked the Doctor like this. And it gave him plenty of time to mock the Doctor. "Nothing to say? Doctor?" he said softly, with mock concern. "What's that? Pardon?" he continued, moving back to stand intimately close to the Doctor again. "Sorry?" he finished, cocking his head to one side as if trying to make out words.

"You let him go you swine!" Wilf said, suddenly picking up the courage to make a stand, despite being in no position to do so.

"Oh," the Master responded with a hint of disgust in his voice, moving back toward Wilf again. "Your Dad's still kicking up a fuss!" Although the old man did have courage, he'd give him that. Not many people would stand up to him. Especially not when tied up and completely at his mercy.

"Well I'd be proud if I was!" Wilf retorted, looking straight back at the Master, not showing an ounce of fear, despite feeling it, knowing that this was a madman he was confronting. More than that, a madman in control of the world.

"Hush, now!" the Master commanded, slightly irritated, raising a finger to his lips and glaring at Wilf, a glare that would make most men quiver. "Listen to your Master." Yes, he LIKED to be in control. Wilf's face fell a little, showing some of the fear concealed. Good, humans were much better when they were fearful. Of course, they were best when they were him, but that was another matter entirely. He turned back towards the Doctor, but as he did a noise caught his attention. It was a phone ringing. An impossible phone ringing. His head snapped back round to face Wilf, and then back to the Doctor again in confusion.  
"But that's a mobile," he stated, in confusion, seeing a little in the Doctor's eyes too.

"Yeah, it's mine, let me turn it off!" Wilf said hurriedly, in full knowledge that it had to be Donna. He didn't want the Master getting to her. Not if he could help it.

The Master walked over to Wilf purposefully, holding out a finger in a correcting manner.

"No, no no no no, I don't think you understand. Everyone on this planet is me" he said as he leaned in menacingly towards Wilf, as the Doctor watched helplessly, concerned, suddenly realising who it was and why. "And I'M not phoning you, so who the hell is that?" he asked angrily, reaching towards Wilf's pocket intending to find out. Wilf protested a little but he ignored it, searching in his jacket to find an old service revolver. "Oooh, look at this!" he said mockingly, turning to the Doctor and holding it up for him to see, knowing how much he hated weapons. "Good man!" he continued before tossing the gun to one side and continuing his search, before finally extracting a phone and looking at the screen. "Donna. Who's Donna?" he asked, not really listening to the old man's response, knowing he would never divulge that information willingly. He answered the phone, hearing a female voice on the other end. Definitely not his! He raised his eyebrows slightly, not quite sure how this could be. He moved the phone away from his mouth, covering the mouthpiece so as not to be overheard.  
"Who is she?" he asked Wilf. "Why didn't she change?"

"Well it was this thing the Doctor did. He did it to her. A metacrisis," he told the Master, knowing it was probably unwise to withhold the information, although from the look on the Doctor's face, maybe it would have been better if he had.

"Oh, he loves playing with Earth girls, ugh!" said the Master, mockingly, in disgust. But that was mainly out of reflex. That and a sudden pang of jealousy. He had always loved Earth girls. Over all these years since leaving Gallifrey, each time they'd met again he'd usually have some Earth girl at his side but didn't even give him a second look, even after all those years back on Gallifrey when they were young, those stupid Earth girls were always the ones he cared for. Never him. The one he had promised to love forever. And a METACRISIS? Well that wouldn't happen to just anyone. She must be something a bit special to get that one. Maybe even more special to the Doctor than the other one he had mentioned, who'd absorbed the time vortex. Because metacrisis. Well that meant she had a bit of him in her mind. Yes, she obviously meant a lot to the Doctor. Well no more.

"Find her," he told his other selves. "Trace the call"  
Elsewhere in the mansion his other selves did just that, locating yet another of the Doctors precious Earth girls. Another someone in between them. Although why he cared so much he didn't know. That was a long time ago now. He shoved the phone to Wilf's ear.

"Say goodbye to the freak Grandad" he almost spat, although careful to keep a smirk on his face. Wilf and Donna exchanged some words with Wilf getting more distraught by whatever it was this Donna was saying. But he didn't really care about Wilf's reaction. He was more interested in the Doctor. Watching the concern and fear for his friend and whatever else that little ape may have been to him. It really was sickening just how attached he got to so many members of that primitive species. It was one of the reasons why he had married Lucy. Make the Doctor jealous in much the same way the Doctor had made him jealous. And then he picked up on a change in Wilf's tone. He was no longer distressed, but confused. Something must have happened.

He turned to look at the Doctor again. Behind the restraints of the chair he was grinning broadly. He winked cheekily. But there was more to it than that, to the Master it was obvious, although he'd never make it any more obvious in front of Wilf. But to the Master, it was more than just an 'I know something you don't' wink, it was an 'I know what you're thinking' wink. And the worst part was, he probably did. Striding over, the Master released the strap covering his mouth, allowing him to speak. He did quite like this versions voice, even if he did talk a little too much at times.

"That's better, hello!" the Doctor started, in his typical cheerful manner. Even when tied up and completely at the Master's mercy, he was still infuriatingly happy about things. "But really," the Doctor was saying. "Did you think I'd leave my best friend without a defence mechanism?" He raised his eyebrows at the Master.  
Best friend? So this Donna was his best friend? And he could tell from the look in his eyes that she really was just a friend. Not like some of those others. But that was such a relief to him he didn't even understand it. Why should he even care? That was all a long time ago and things had changed. Significantly. But the thought that after finding him again (even if the Doctor HAD thought he'd lost him forever after their last encounter) the Doctor hadn't wanted a relationship any more than that of a friend.... Well that gave him hope where.... No.... Why? He didn't care about the Doctor. Well only in as much as he liked to cause him some pain. He should really try to get some information out of his adversary. Forget this nonsense. As the Doctor and Wilf finished a quick exchange about Donna, he leaned in closer to the Doctor.... So close he could almost.... No.... Why would he even think that? He needed to focus on the task he'd just set himself.

"Tell me, Where's your Tardis?" he asked, mentally groaning at himself. It sounded so seductive to his ears. Like the worst chat up line ever. Especially being so close to the Doctor. And the Doctor strapped up in that bondage chair.... Surely the Doctor couldn't be stupid enough to not notice that. Even he had to be observant enough to pick up on that one.

And the Doctor had. He had been observing the Master all along. Noticed the jealousy deep in his eyes at the talk of Earth girls. The relief when he realised Donna was a friend. And now that seductive smile. Well he could join in on that game. And he wanted to. Because even after everything, he really did still have those feelings for the Master. And if the Master were to change just a little, then maybe he wouldn't have to pretend any more.

"You could be so wonderful" he breathed to the other Time lord. And he had been. And in his own way, he still was. Even if he was insane. So wonderful in so many ways.

The Master stayed close, continuing on his train of conversation, although to his ears it still sounded like the universe's worst chat up line. Maybe that was just because he'd lost his focus and was dwelling on those desires of his too much. Maybe the Doctor wouldn't hear it.  
"Where is it?"

But the Doctor had heard it in his voice and continued in his almost flirting.

"You're a genius, you're stone cold brilliant, you are, I swear, you really are," he began. The Master had always been the more intelligent of the two of them, although he would never say that to his face. But together they had been something more. Two fantastic minds working together on something and they rarely failed (although there was that one time on Gallifrey.... That hadn't been pretty....)

The Master accepted the complement with a tilt of his head and a sort of smile. He had always believed the Doctor as the more intelligent of the two, although he CERTAINLY wouldn't admit that.

"But you could be so much more. You could be beautiful," the Doctor continued, although he had to admit that physically, he already was. This incarnation of the Master was rather nice to look at. And his latest look, blonde, was... Well rather gorgeous he had to admit. And while he would never admit any of this aloud, and knew he would never see this particular spectacle again, but that red collar he'd been made to wear, wow it had looked good around his neck. Just... delicious! And he could not believe he'd just thought that. He tried his utmost not to blush at his thoughts. Rassilon that would be embarrassing. Especially with Wilf in the room. He could hardly believe the way he was almost flirting in front of Wilf. Although he was fairly sure it was subtle enough for him not to notice he wished they could be somewhere a bit more... Private... But it was too late for that now. And he wasn't really in any position to bargain. He thought of how he must look in this chair. How vulnerable he was. The things the Master could do to him... He stopped that train of thought almost as soon as it started. He couldn't lose himself to that now.

"With a mind like that, we could travel the stars. It would be my honour." The Master had asked him once in a conversation if he was asking him out on a date. He hadn't at that particular point, although he'd wished he could have. But now... Now he supposed he really was. He just had to hope the Master would accept this time. Last time he'd offered, the Master had chosen death over travelling the universe together. And that had very nearly led him to a complete breakdown. In fact if Donna hadn't turned up again... Well he knew how he could be now. After Mars. And it had not only been the scars of seeing everyone he loved leave with someone else, or having to wipe his best friend's memory to stop her burning and dying, or even hearing those in Bowie Base One dying as he walked away that had caused him to break down there. No. It had been the thought that if he was the Timelord Victorious, he could have gone back and saved the Master. Because the Master was the one he truly wanted to be with. If he had to choose just one, that is. Not any of his human friends, however much he loved them in whatever way, the Master would be his choice every time.

"Because you don't need to own the universe. Just see it. To have the privilege of seeing the whole of time and space... that's ownership enough," he finished. Because that was the one thing the Master always failed to understand. That he didn't need to be constantly trying to rule the universe when they could just observe together. And if he really needed to control something... Well he wouldn't mind submitting to him once in a while... Although it was perhaps better if the Master DIDN'T know that... Because he would certainly take advantage of it. Now he just had to wait for a response to his offer.

The Master observed the Doctor as he spoke. Taking in all the little signs that most humans would miss. The signs that the Doctor almost certainly intended for him to pick up. The little almost blushes and meaningful almost glances. Everything the Doctor said had an almost flirtatious quality to it. And he supposed... If he was with the Doctor... After all, why else had he spent so much time setting up all those little plots that the Doctor would inevitably foil, if not to try to be with him. Although what had come over him at their previous encounter where he had chosen death over the Doctor, HIS Doctor, he would never know. Maybe, just maybe, it had been the drums. Whatever it was calling him making sure he was at the right place at the right time. He didn't know. But maybe if they were gone. If he took the Doctor up on his offer to help. Maybe then he could finally choose that which always should have been. And that which used to be.

"...would it stop, then? The noise in my head?" he asked, leaving the Doctor space to offer that which he always did. Which up until now he had been too stupid to accept. To proud. But in the end was more of a weakness, rather than the other way round as he had always thought it to be. And he was never one for weakness. He was the Master.

"I can help," the Doctor murmured, although he was unsure how. It would require going deeper inside the Master's mind than he ever had before. When they were young, and wouldn't have stopped each other from connecting that deeply, they didn't have the skill. But ever since that fateful day when... well he couldn't bear to think about what had happened, but since then they would never have allowed it. And Rassilon he regretted what had happened. The things that had been said and done. He wished he could turn back time. Change it. Well technically he could, but that would be a paradox. And after Mars... well he didn't dare try anything like that.

Now he heard those words from the Doctor's mouth the Master thought of the implications of losing those drums. He didn't remember a time when he hadn't heard the drums beating away in his head. But after all, he had only been 8, and after so many hundreds of years, he couldn't imagine life without them.

"I don't know what I'd be. Without that noise." He looked at the Doctor, a look in his eyes asking for reassurance. For the Doctor to let him know that it would be ok without that noise. But the Doctor's response was completely unexpected. Not unwelcome though. In fact it did so much more than the reassurance he'd been looking for ever could.

The Doctor considered. Of course the Master would find it a strange concept to not hear that noise. How could he have been so stupid as to not think of that? And he saw the need for reassurance in the Master's eyes. But he decided to go the full way. Step out on a limb and show the Master how much he really meant in the only way that seemed to fit the moment.

"I wonder what I'd be," he said, looking the Master right in the eye, at the same time reaching out with his mind, allowing them to brush against each other, finding the Master's surprisingly more open than he would have thought. And the contact was so welcome after all those long years, it was all he could do to stop himself shivering at the feeling. He backed up the rest of his words mentally as he spoke them. "Without you," he finished as the Master more actively encouraged their mental link, giving the Doctor a very hard time of restraining himself in front of Wilf, who the Master seemed to have forgotten was there. Wilf couldn't know about what was between them. That would never do.

Tears started to well up in the Master's eyes as he thought of what had once been and as he felt the mental contact of another Timelord, so welcome after these years. Especially when it was the Doctor. And after he'd said that. He had left his mind open, unguarded ever since that moment in the wasteland when he had let the Doctor hear the drums. Knowing at the time that the Doctor was the only one currently on the planet who had the ability to touch his mind, and after feeling that touch again, if only briefly, he knew he needed to feel it more. And now the Doctor had chosen to reach out to him, he knew that he was welcome to indulge in that link. And so he did. It wasn't as if his other selves would mind. They were him after all. He smiled at the Doctor. His Doctor.

"Yeah" was all he said aloud, although much more was shared between them in that mental contact. All too soon however the moment was broken by another voice. One other than his and the Doctor's.

"What does he mean? What noise?" said Wilf, shattering the moment and breaking any chance that the Master might finally have accepted the Doctor's offer. They pulled away from their mental contact, and the Master turned to face Wilf. Oh he should have imprisoned the old man elsewhere really. But he hadn't planned on getting so... intimate with the Doctor. And he really shouldn't have let himself get carried away in the moment. He was the Master. He shouldn't show that sort of weakness.

But he wanted to share. To explain that which he hadn't spoken about since leaving Gallifrey all those hundreds of years ago. He began quietly, bitterly. Pushing all thoughts of the Doctor away and focussing purely on himself.

"It began on Gallifrey. As children," he began. On that day when he had met Theta first. It was funny, he thought, how easily his thoughts could return to the Doctor. "Not that you'd call it childhood. More a life of duty." Although he, Theta, and a few others had done a fair job of ignoring the authorities and doing things their own way. Having a bit of fun. Playing pranks, sneaking out. Just the two of them together. Alone. He scolded himself for letting his thoughts wonder that way. It had been a long time since he had thought of the Doctor when he was known as Theta Sigma and he himself had been Koschei. He returned to the story of himself. Ignoring Theta. "Eight years old I was taken for initiation. To stare into the untempered schism." And it had been beautiful. Seeing the raw power of time churning. Leaving him wanting that power for himself.

"What does that mean?" asked Wilf, confused. Well he was human. Of course he wouldn't understand.

"It's a gap in the fabric of reality" the Doctor put in, before the Master had a chance to speak, despite the glare the Master gave him for interrupting his flow. "You can see into the time vortex itself. And it hurts" not only that it was terrifying. Because there had been something there. Or the residue of something at the very least. He had fled from it. Only Koschei had stopped him running forever. How he wished... And he was encouraged by the intimacy shown by the Master. There was obviously still something inside that still cared. There was some part of him that was still his Koschei.

"They took me there. In the dark," the Master was saying. "I looked into time, old man." Not only that he had wanted some of that power, even then. And so he had reached out his mind to the vortex. Had he been a bit more careful, like Theta had, perhaps he would have known there was something there. Theta had mentioned it afterwards. When he had been so terrified. But he hadn't and when he'd stretched his mind to the vortex... "And I heard it. Calling to me. The drums. The never-ending drums." And oh Rassilon did they hurt. His Theta had helped that. At times banished them completely. But he had discovered in the year that never was that while the Doctor soothed them a little, nothing he could do would banish them any more. Although maybe if he had been willing and the things they had done had been through love as they had on Gallifrey... Pffft that was ridiculous. The sort of stupid thing the Doctor would suggest. And the drums were real. The Doctor had confirmed that. So there had to be more to it.

"Listen to it, Listen," he said, knowing neither the Doctor nor Wilf could hear, but an idea starting to form in his mind. The Doctor and Wilf couldn't hear it but...

"Then let's find it. You and me," the Doctor suggested, seeing the Master's sanity slipping away once more. But he had to try. Take this chance to have the Master there once more. To find out the source of those drums and cure them. So he could be whole again.  
But it was too late. The Master's moment of sanity had passed and as he spoke an insane smile spread across his lips.

"Except... Oh... Oh wait a minute. Oh yes, that's good." Oh yes, it was perfect. As he was talking, he had moved to stand before the Doctor once more.

"What? What is?" the Doctor asked, sounding concerned. Almost scared at the Master's returned insanity.

The Master grinned at the Doctor. He always had liked explaining things to him. "The noise exists within my head. And now within 6 billion heads. Everyone on Earth can hear it. Imagine... Oh... Oh yes!" he exclaimed, excited by this revelation. He started laughing insanely as his nemesis watched helplessly from the chair he was strapped to. As he laughed, his skeletal form flashed for the others to see initially causing him to laugh more insanely, however as it continued, he found the pain unbearable, causing him to wince in pain, trying to shake it off, before hunching up, close to the floor. Willing the pain to go away. He had hoped the gate would fix him, although it was a slim chance after what Lucy had done. He should have known that she would betray him again.

"The gate wasn't enough. You're still dying," the Doctor was saying, unable to keep the concern from his voice. After all these years and all the torture the Master had put him through and he was still concerned about the Master's well being. But the Master's insanity had truly taken over again, and all caring thoughts for the Doctor had once again been banished, replaced by bitterness.

"This body was born out of death. All it can do is die. But what did you say to me? Back in the wasteland. You said the end of time..." he queried. Because he had a suspicion now. And if it was so, then he had even more to play in this than he could have hoped.

"I said something is returning. I was shown a prophecy. That's why I need your help," the Doctor told him, trying one final time to make the Master see sense. To get him to help and to be able to help him. Although really he knew that the Master was too far gone into his insanity to listen to that now.  
The Master smirked. "What if I'm part of it? Don't you see? The drumbeat is calling from so far away. From the end of time itself!" Yes. It was all beginning to make sense now. He had always been heading towards this. Since that day when he was eight years old. It wasn't just coincidence, or a symptom of madness (although it had probably contributed to that madness) but a grand plan leading to... What? That was the only question that remained, but... "And now it's being amplified 6 billion times! Triangulate those all those signals - I could find its source! Oh Doctor, that's what your prophecy was! Me!" He spread his arms out joyously, facing the Doctor, an insane grin on his face, of the type the Doctor had come to expect of the Master. Especially in this incarnation. And then, without warning he moved closer to the Doctor, his face contorting to one of anger, and slapped him hard around the face. Oh that felt good! "Where's the Tardis?" he demanded, the line no longer sounding seductive, but the question of a madman.

"... No, just stop, just think..." the Doctor begged, trying one final time to convince the Master although he was fairly sure he would not succeed. The look in the Master's eye confirmed that.

The Master sighed at the Doctor's persistence, before turning to a guard version of himself stood at the side of his room and pointing to Wilf. "Kill him!" he commanded, before turning back to the Doctor. "I need that technology - tell me where it is, or the old man's dead!" He knew the Doctor would never sit and watch a friend die.

"Don't tell him!" Wilf exclaimed, knowing how bad it would be were the Master to get hold of that technology, although equally knowing the Doctor could never just watch him die.

The Master was getting impatient by this point. "I'll kill him! Right now!" he informed the Doctor angrily.

The Doctor glanced between the Master, the guard, Wilf and then back to the Master again, a plan coming to mind, knowing that the Master's insanity had returned after that blip when he could almost see the old Koschei in there and was little chance of making him see sense now.

"Actually," he started, in the way he knew would wind the Master up most. "The most impressive thing about you is that after all this time, you're still bone-dead-stupid!" And yet there was still a fondness behind his insult. The way he would to someone he loved (which he supposed was the case). Half teasing, half serious.

The Master however didn't take it that way. He took it as a massive insult, rolling his head round, his neck cracking as he did, to glare at the Doctor. How dare he insult his intelligence like that? He was a genius and the Doctor knew it. Had told him so not five minutes ago.

"Take aim!" he instructed, ready to give the order to fire. He couldn't believe the Doctor was letting him get so close to giving the order.

The Doctor only smiled. The Master had missed the obvious, seen only what he thought he should see, whereas the Doctor could see the two of them together. Could see what the Master failed to observe...

"You've got six billion pairs of eyes, but you still can't see the obvious, can you?"

The Master glared at him.

"Like what?!" he asked incredulously. How could the Doctor see something he hadn't? It had to be a wind up. Or a distraction...

The Doctor smiled and quietly intoned, "That guard is one inch too tall."

The Master turned to look at the guard, who promptly hit him in the head with the butt of his gun, causing him to fall to the floor, unconscious. The Doctor had to admit it was a bit of a shame, but he supposed it couldn't be helped. And it wouldn't do to have whichever of the Vinvocci it was in there knowing what he might have wished to have happened, had the Master's insanity not taken hold once more.

The guard removed his helmet, revealing himself to be Rossiter in is Vinvocci form. He looked slightly panicked, understandably really.

"Oh my God, I hit him!" he gabbled "I've never hit anyone in my life!"

The other Vinvocci, Addams ran into the room, producing a knife and starting to cut Wilf free of his bonds, while Rossiter moved over to make a start on the many straps fastening the Doctor to the chair. A rather large task, given how securely the Master had wanted to make sure he was held down.

"We need to get out of here, fast!" Addams reminded them, it was only a matter of time before one of the other Masters realised what was going on. Or the original woke up, which would probably worse, given the way he liked to use that resurrection energy of his.

"God bless the cactuses!" Wilf put in as Addams continued to cut him free.

"That's cacti!" the Doctor corrected automatically.

"That's racist" Rossiter responded angrily as he continued to work on the straps, with little success.

\--

Elsewhere in the mansion, the Master who had once been Joshua Naismith was still trying to find out the information that his original self no longer could, asking questions to a screen. The screen, however stayed completely static.  
"Doctor?" he enquired of it, wondering what could was his other self was doing to the Doctor that meant they wouldn't respond. And knowing himself very well, it could be a number of things...

\--

Addams, meanwhile, had finally managed to free Wilf from his bonds, allowing him to stand and stretch. Addams turned back to Rossiter impatiently.

"Come on, we've got to get out!" she insisted, as Rossiter continued to struggle with the straps holding the Doctor to the chair.

"There's too many buckles and straps! " he insisted

" Just.... wheel him! " Addams suggested, slightly irritated. So that's just what he did, tipping the chair back onto its wheels and pushing him out of the room at a fair speed. The Doctor, however was unsurprisingly not best pleased with this arrangement, protesting the entire time, although being strapped to the chair, there was little he could really do about it. As they left the room Wilf picked up his gun from the floor, just in case, and followed behind the two Vinvocci and complaining Doctor.

\--

The Master who had been Naismith continued to watch the screen linked to where the Doctor was being interrogated.

"What's going on!" he asked, hoping for the original Master to respond, however there, across the screen was suddenly a blur of movement. The Doctor on the chair being pushed by a cactus?

"Doctaaaaah!" he called out angrily.

\--

Alarms started to sound around them as Rossiter pushed the Doctor. They had obviously been noticed.

"Which way?" he asked as they approached a choice of ways to turn.

"This way!" Addams informed him as she led the way.

"No, no, no, the other way, I've got my Tardis!" the Doctor insisted urgently. Things would be much easier if they could just get back there. He may even be able to talk sense into the Master if he were there.

"I know what I'm doing!" Addams retorted, indignantly.

"No, no, no, just listen to me!" he insisted, but knowing that he had little choice in the matter. Ahead he saw a flight of stairs looming. This was bad. This was VERY bad.

"Not the stairs, not the stairs!!" he shouted. This was going to hurt. Rossiter gave him absolutely no say in the matter, and continued down the stairs anyway, giving the Doctor a very bumpy and rather painful ride, with many "Ow!"s following. Although what he was thinking certainly wasn't that restrained. Not by a long shot. As they reach the bottom of the stairs, the Doctor was annoyed and uncomfortable.

"Worst. Rescue. Ever!" he informed the two Vinvocci angrily. They ignored him and continued down the corridor, towards the basement room. Upon reaching it they stopped in the centre.

"Just stop, and listen to me!" the Doctor tried once more, slightly exasperated, however it was too late, as the Master entered the room with several guards, who were of course himself under those helmets. The Master grinned.

"Gotcha!" he stated, and as he did an image rose unbidden to both his mind and the Doctor's of a day long ago on Gallifrey. He and Theta had been playing tag out in the fields of red grass. He had knocked Theta to the ground and pinned him there. He had uttered just one word to him....  
"Gotcha!"  
A rather wicked grin had been on his face, almost daring Theta to ask what he planned on doing with him, now he had him....  
If only.

"Think so?" Addams asked, unaware of the goings on in the two Timelord's minds, pressing the face of her watch, causing them to glow and disappear from the, the Doctor protesting as they did. Teleporting them to a ship waiting far above.


End file.
